PharmaceuticalsOctober 28, 2025Kacper Żełabowski, Kamil Biedka, Wojciech Pichowicz et al.
Background: Driving is a coordinated psychomotor activity that involves reaction time, attention, and decision-making. Psychoactive substances such as 2-phenylethylamine (PEA) derivatives and opioids may affect these functions and contribute to traffic safety. This systematic review revealed the effects of the selected PEA derivatives and opioids on psychomotor performance among drivers and...
Abstract This paper distinguishes the drug-centered view of psychedelics (DCP) and the drug-assisted view of psychedelics (DAP). While these approaches differ conceptually, both rely on the methodology of evidence-based medicine, using randomized controlled trials to validate therapeutic efficacy. Using MDMA-assisted psychotherapy as a case study of DAP, we reconstruct the causal reasoning...
Psychedelics are mind-altering substances that have shown promising effects in the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders owing to their antidepressant, anxiolytic and antiaddictive effects. However, data on their developmental toxicity is scarce, which might hinder its therapeutic suitability, and preclinical data on their behavioral effects is mainly restricted to rodents. In this context,...
Humans have long used various substances to enhance sexual pleasure and performance, often at the expense of their overall health. This review investigates the sexual-related effects of recreational drugs, including amphetamines, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), mephedrone, gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), and ketamine. By examining anecdotal evidence, self-reports, and limited scientific...
Psychiatric illness, particularly stress-related disorders including depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder, presents a considerable health burden worldwide with high prevalence, disabling symptoms, and scant efficacy of available treatments. Chronic stress is a major contributor to the origin and development of these conditions, to the detriment of both individual and, by...
Psychedelic-assisted therapies are re-emerging as credible options in psychological care amid a high global burden of mental ill-health and limited response to first-line treatments. Once marginal, psychedelics are now part of mainstream research and policy debate, while remaining illegal or tightly restricted in many jurisdictions. Classic and atypical compounds (e.g., psilocybin, MDMA) act...
Die psychedelika assistierte Psychotherapie erfährt aktuell eine wissenschaftlich fundierte Renaissance. Studien zeigen eine therapeutische Wirksamkeit von Substanzen wie Psilocybin, LSD und MDMA bei verschiedenen psychischen Störungsbildern, insbesondere bei therapieresistenter Depression, PTBS, Angstund Suchterkrankungen. In der Schweiz nimmt diese Entwicklung eine besondere Stellung ein: Als...
Social WorkOctober 1, 2025Heidi L Allen, Brooke L Stott
With MDMA, LSD, and psilocybin receiving “Breakthrough Therapy” designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and moving into Phase 3 clinical trials, we are closer than ever to legal administration of these compounds for mental health treatment. Research from Lykos, Usona Institute, Mindmed, Compass Pathways, and Johns Hopkins, among others, has shown promising efficacy of the...
After years of restrictions due to concerns about their potentially harmful effects, research on psychedelics has entered a new era. Increasing attention has been directed toward their immense therapeutic potential, particularly for psychiatric disorders. Pre-clinical and clinical studies have consistently demonstrated that psychedelic treatments produce therapeutic effects within hours of...
María Sabina became well known around the world for her great shamanic power and because people were intrigued by her and her relationship with hallucinogenic mushrooms, or niños santos (saint children), as she called them. The present chapter analyzes María Sabina’s prayers/chants – nijmi – in her mother tongue, Mazatec. Their anaphoric structure, commonly used by poets of this tradition, was...